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`e it known thatIyIsAAo R. TRrMBLmof efcity of Baltimorefin" the `State of Mary` .""land, have invented anew and useful Im- "`provemenft in theModeof Splicing the* Adj acent `Rails of Railroadllfracks, andthat the following is a fullandfz'exact descriptionof j y my said invention.`

j j Iron" chairs of varlojus"formsV have been j `fused for.. the `purposefgllandl `splices of iron f have also beenfemployed.uniting the 'rails 1 j fand C being riveted orf otherwise fastened thereto. The'objectito be accomplished by all these contrivances being to overcome the y tendency of the rails under heavy `and rapid `.pressure `and motion to lose their level and l become deranged laterally at the junctions. But l experience has shown the inefficiency z ofthe greater numberof the modes resorted to, and as yet no plan hasbeen discovered togcommand `the general confidence of professional men and get intogeneral use. This fact is mentioned to show that a `perfect `mode of splicing was still a desideratum. j My own experience as an engineer was dil rected for sometimeto the iron splice, consisting'of bars of iron of greater orless j length fitting the neck of the rail, say in the H rail,between theupper table, orbearing y surface and the base, which bars were fastened by rivets, or bolts passing through the y neck, V,and securing in proper relationsto each other the ends of thevadjacent rail. C "But use proved the defects of this. The y rivets "wore loose, the level was `lost and "lateraldistance took place, when the trouble f and expenselof rerivetin' `the track pro-ved y greater than to adjust astenings of other descriptions. i j j Thefdefects of the ironsplice thus made I` "apparent, by present f invention was the result of attempts to obviate them, when it occurred to me, that by substituting a heavy `bar or block `of wood on the outside of the rails, Iwould obtain what I wanted, not merely by sustituting one material foranother, but by the product-ion of results` to which wood was .competent and iron, within `any reasonablelimitof expense, incompetent, j Ihustherigidity of iron, its compressibility and yet want of elasticity, `allowed the con stantjarring of-passing loads to loosenthe rivets,while there was an elasticity `in wood "that yielded to thejarring.withoutloosening the rivets or bolts.. `Thus whilethe cost- 'rENT OFFICE. l*

'rRr-MBLEQ or BAn'rIMoRn; MARYLAND.

vs/'oonEliTv syrien-rines ron RAILWAYs V sfificw ida cf rentrera/cent NQ. iazoaldated Apriiio. 18545; Antedatd october 1o, 1854.

liness and weight, and difficuly of working `iron limlted the employment of it to splice plates just fitting the neck of the rail abo-ve the base,jthe cheapness and facility of working wood, permitted the useof pieces large enough to extend lengthwise so as to cover three (3) sleepers, orcross ties and Wide `enough to take a firm bearing upon them,

while its height was only limited by the whole height of the rail, so asto keep out of thewa-y of the tread of passing`wheels,

`all that was necessary being to fit one of its edges to the neck of the rail, `bolting it thereto, as though an outer iron splice and spiking it down to the sleepers or crossties. In practice the bolts fastening the splice to the rails remaining firm, the stiffness of the splice piece vertically and laterally preserved the rail to which it was attached from vertical or lateral disturbance,-accomplish ing the great result .aimed at by all chairs and splices. I

Having thus explained the principles of my invention, the following vis the form of construction that I have found to answer vthe purpose. 'I take a piece of strong hard wood I of about five inches wide and of the height of the rail, and dress this on t-he side which is to be next the rail, so that a section of it would correspond with al section of the rail. An easy mode of doing this is by a molding machine with a cutter of the outline of the section of the rail. The length of this splice piece is such as to extend over three of the crossties G, Gf, Gr-the center tie Gr being that which the ends of the rails C rest upon. rIhe rails having .been previously punched with two holes at each end, one, about three inches from the end and the other about twenty inches from that again. I make corresponding holes through the splice piece, through which I pass bolts J with washers K under the heads on the inside of the rails, the under surface of the washers corresponding with the curve of the neck of the rail, and the outer surface next `washer K with two holes at the adjacent extremities of the rails operates as a sort of iron i lOl) `the head of the bolt, being flat, a single" vertically through each splice piece into each of the crossties G below it, complete the construction In practice and as an additional fastening, I have used the common wrought iron chair, or clamp F for the'bas'eof the rails,-but this lis not a necessary part of my invention.

The accompanying isometrical View and section of my invention will illustrate the foregoing description, and will show its application to one of the common forms of rail in use in the country.

Now what I claim as .new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The combination of a wooden splice piece, strong enough to resist the lateral and vertical disturbances to which the adjacent ends of rails are liable, in combination with any form of rail competent to its purpose without other support throughout than its own stillness-the said splice piece and rail, in

the combination now claimed, beingffastened together and fastened down in the manner heretofore described.

2. I am aware of a patent granted toB. H. Latrobe for a combined rail of wood and iron where the two are bolted together throughout, the wood and iron breaking joints; but the rail in this case is a rail which is incapable of being used by itself, its form being peculiar and relating to its combination, while the combination made by me is with the rail in common use, and is capable of being substituted on such rail, without other preparation than drilling or punching the bolt holes, in place of any of the chairs or astenings now in use.

ISAAC R. TRIMBLE.

Witnesses:

A. B. STOUGHTON, A. M. GEORGE. 

